NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS

September 20, 2020

Frank Vogel

Los Angeles Lakers

Game 2: Postgame

Los Angeles Lakers 105, Denver Nuggets 103

Q. Wanted to ask you about both the shot itself and sort of how that play came about, what AD's read versus what LeBron was trying to do and how Rondo was involved as the passer, and the significance of the fact that he made it?

FRANK VOGEL: Obviously, huge significance. We're up 2-0 now as a result of that. Just a big-time shot by a big-time player. We have a set where we can basically isolate LeBron on a baseline out-of-bounds situation like that. Rondo came up and whispered in my ear about do I want him in there as a passer, and obviously I said heck yes. He made a great read on it, and Anthony flew over to the wing. We talked about missing that shot, similar type of shot, against Brooklyn before the hiatus. Like I said, big-time shot by a big-time player.

Q. What you have noticed about AD's temperament as a player and how does that speak to the moment that he rose to?

FRANK VOGEL: I keep saying, he's a big-time player. He really carried us through a stretch where we were struggling to score late in the third. The combo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is just -- if one of them is not going, the other one is. There was a little bit of that tonight. When they're both going at the same time, we're near impossible to stop. Those guys both carried each other throughout the game and obviously a big part of the win.

Q. These late-game situations have been part of LeBron's game over the last five, six years, where he's become notorious for making those shots. And you have Anthony with the ability, Kyle, another young player who hit a game-winner against Denver in the bubble. Does that give you more options? Is there a pecking order? What's it like as a coach trying to figure out what to do in those situations?

FRANK VOGEL: It depends. It depends on the matchup. It depends on who has been going. It depends on the coverage. The ability to have two targets out there, and obviously in this scenario with Rondo as the passer, being able to read the defense and which is more open, knowing both of them have that ability makes us a big threat down the stretch. Happy for those guys to win a game like that.

Q. AD in his walk-off talked about the questions about whether he wants this pressure and the fact that he has not been in a Western Conference Finals before. What do you think a shot like that in this kind of moment both can do for his confidence, and also wondering what you saw in his confidence and his willingness to take on that pressure in that moment?

FRANK VOGEL: I've seen that from him all year. Just because his teams haven't been good enough to reach this moment doesn't mean that he's not that caliber of player. We saw that tonight. No surprise by me. No surprise by our whole group. Hopefully there's more still to come.

Q. Obviously very exhilarating way to win. But when you think about you guys had a 16-point lead at one point, eight-point lead with three minutes left, are you like, phew, we got away with one?

FRANK VOGEL: Not really. It's a 48-minute game. Leads mean nothing against this team. They are a nightmare to guard. Give them credit for playing an outstanding basketball game. Even in the first half while we had a lead, they are playing well. Like I said, they are extremely difficult to guard, and they are well put together and well-coached on the defensive end. This is a complete basketball team we are playing against. Leads mean nothing. You have to play 48 minutes, and luckily we were able to prevail down the stretch.

Q. Were you going to put Rondo in the game anyway or did you have a meeting of the minds?

FRANK VOGEL: It was on my mind. As I was about to look for him, he came over and said, Different passer? I'm like, Heck yeah, let's go; let's get him in.

Q. Did you tell him the play on the way in?

FRANK VOGEL: He knew the play. He saw what we were in, the formation we were in.

Q. The TNT cameras caught you telling the team it was a Mamba shot. Can you explain that?

FRANK VOGEL: Well, we want to embody what Kobe Bryant stood for and honor his memory. Obviously, there are certain games where we are going to feel it a little bit more than others. When we have that uniform on, I think we feel it more than others. That's a shot Kobe Bryant would hit. To me, AD coming off just flying to the wing like that, catch-and-shoot with the biggest game on the line of our season, nothing but net, it's a Mamba shot.

Q. A lot of their comeback was done through Jokic getting switched on to your guards and working through that. How do you better control that moving forward, guarding when he gets switched on the guards?

FRANK VOGEL: Like I said, this team is a nightmare to defend. The problems that he presents along with Murray, along with their supporting cast. there's a reason they are in the Western Conference Finals and a threat to beat us. I think we are doing a good job keeping bodies on bodies in those switching situations. But to try to get out of those situations is complicated. It's difficult. Our guys are competing and doing a good job in a lot of situations, but not good enough.

Hopefully this is one of those scenarios that each game that goes by, we get a little bit better each game and continue to improve with that. And hopefully we're able to get another win, another two wins.